On September 22, 2026, iQIYI officially announced I Envy Not the Lovers, Only the Immortals, an upcoming AI-assisted web series unveiled at the 2026 iJOY Enjoyment Conference. The series is being promoted as the first domestic web series in which live-action actors have authorized the use of their likenesses and voices for an entirely AI-generated character performance. Shen Yujie plays Huang Doudou, while Chen Heyi plays Lu Yang. According to the announcement, neither actor participated in conventional live-action filming for the finished series; instead, their likenesses and voices were licensed for AI-assisted character creation.
The project represents a new approach to long-form video production, bringing professional actors’ licensed digital likenesses into an AI-driven production process. However, director Wei Zheng has emphasized that the performances themselves originate from real actors. He described the series as a 1,000-minute production featuring live-action performances assisted by AI technology, with AI being used to expand possibilities in camera angles, environments, and visual presentation.
I Envy Not the Lovers, Only the Immortals
Chinese Title: 我羡鸳鸯不羡仙
English Title: I Envy Not the Lovers, Only the Immortals
Format: AI Web Series
Length: Approximately 1,000 minutes
Director: Wei Zheng
Main Cast: Shen Yujie, Chen Heyi
Characters: Huang Doudou, Lu Yang
Production Locations: Shanghai, Hengdian
About the Series
I Envy Not the Lovers, Only the Immortals is a long-form web series that combines live-action actor performances with AI technology.
The project has attracted attention because the lead actors, Shen Yujie and Chen Heyi, authorized their likenesses and voices for use in the production. Their digital representations are then used to create the characters of Huang Doudou and Lu Yang through AI technology.
The production is being described as a significant development in the use of licensed actor digital avatars in long-form video production.
Actors’ Performances and AI Technology
Although the project is being promoted as an AI-generated drama, director Wei Zheng has explained that AI did not replace the actors’ performances.
In a statement, Wei Zheng said that the characters’ emotions, expressions, dramatic tension, and character arcs come from the real performances of the live actors. AI is instead used to extend the possibilities of the production, including camera angles, scenes, and visual effects.
The director also revealed that the series was filmed extensively in Shanghai and Hengdian using a system involving hundreds of cameras to capture the actors’ performances.
According to Wei Zheng, the same camera system was also used in the Chinese film Pigeon Ring, which recently received an award at the Venice Film Festival.
The director stressed that while AI can expand the technical possibilities of filmmaking, it does not replace the creators’ aesthetics, storytelling, or sincerity.
Shen Yujie as Huang Doudou
Shen Yujie is set to portray Huang Doudou in the series.
For this project, Shen Yujie authorized the use of her likeness and voice. Her character performance was then developed through the production’s AI technology rather than through conventional filming of the finished scenes.
Chen Heyi as Lu Yang
Chen Heyi plays Lu Yang, the other leading character in the series.
Like Shen Yujie, Chen Heyi authorized his likeness and voice for the production. His performance is incorporated into the AI-assisted production process to create the character’s appearance, expressions, and other elements of the performance.
A New Approach to AI Drama Production
I Envy Not the Lovers, Only the Immortals marks a notable development in the relationship between AI technology and traditional film and television production.
Rather than using completely artificial characters, the project combines AI technology with the licensed likenesses and voices of professional actors. This creates a production model in which actors can authorize their digital representations while AI technology is used to construct and expand their performances within the finished work.
The project therefore moves beyond the idea of AI being used simply as a visual or post-production tool. It introduces licensed digital actor representations into the production process of a long-form series.
At the same time, Wei Zheng’s comments indicate that the production still relies on human performances as the foundation for its characters. The director specifically described the project as being built around live actors’ performances, with AI assisting in the expansion of the visual and cinematic possibilities.
Trailer Coming Soon
Director Wei Zheng has announced that the trailer for I Envy Not the Lovers, Only the Immortals will be released on September 23, 2026.
The trailer will provide the first substantial look at how the production combines the actors’ performances with AI-generated visuals and environments.
As AI technology continues to enter the film and television industry, this series offers an early example of how licensed actor likenesses, real performances, and AI-generated production techniques can be combined in a long-form drama.
